Kodiac's Saga Part One: The Beginning
by Buckminster Rules 777
Summary: Kodiac, a young weasel, is orphaned by a terrible fire. Though injured, he manages to get away. He meets friends, other orphans that help him get through the loss. Will they survive through these days of torment? I didn't add Buck in the characters since he isn't in this part. He will be in Part 3.
1. Prologue

**A/N:** **I was given permission for this fanfic by Nutcase friend. Any and all OCs that she wrote about in The Past Comes Back To Bite, Two Worlds Clash, and Wishes, Dreams, and Nightmares are hers. The storyline with Buck, Lucy, Regal, the village, etc. are also hers. This story and the other two parts are only meant to be extensions for your enjoyment. Nothing more.**

A long, long time ago, at the very beginning of time, the world as we knew it was much different. Instead of warmth and greenery at some places and snow on others, the majority of the land was covered in ice. That frozen tundra, in which lived many unique creatures, was known as the Ice Age.

As I said before, there were many creatures moving across the land. Some had fur. Some had scales. Some even had feathers. Most (except for the birds) walked on four legs. Among the four-legged mammals, the earliest of the weasels emerged. These unique little creatures learned to survive. They fought off predators on a daily basis and continued on with life. Each generation became stronger than the last, until hardly any animal would dare challenge these fierce little mammals. Even the hawks, which prey upon them, do so with caution. Despite the size of the weasels, they have learned to endure almost anything and rise up on top.

That is where my story begins. In one of the snow-covered holes in the ground, a mother weasel is giving birth. She is giving birth to a legacy, though no one knows this, yet. After many hours of hard labor, she gives birth to twins. She holds the second born one with pure black fur and dark blue eyes. She names him Soriac. Then, she picks up the one with brown and crème spotted fur. She looks into his eyes, eyes of a piercing blue tinged with emerald green. She feels a gentle breeze billow up behind her, as if it's trying to whisper into her ears. She names her firstborn Kodiac, for the greatness she senses will come from him. She lays her newborn infants down in their nest, unaware of the destiny that is about to unfold itself upon them all.


	2. Chapter 1: Early Years (Before Age Five)

It's been three years since Kodiac was born. Since then, he was given little siblings. Twin girls (Meadowspring and Tawnyspot) and twin boys (Pine and Night). Meadowspring has light brown fur and blue eyes. Tawnyspot has light brown fur with a tawny spot over her right eye. Her eyes are also blue. Pine has dark brown fur and green eyes. Night has pure black fur and blue eyes. Meadowspring and Tawnyspot are both two years of age. Pine and Night are both one.

Their parents, Sakrin and Ferndew, watch over the six of them carefully. Sakrin has dark brown fur and green eyes. Ferndew has light brown fur and blue eyes. They are as loving as all parents should be, treating each of their children as equals.

Now, for the personalities of each of the six kits. Kodiac is kind-hearted, much like Ferndew predicted.

Soriac has more of a temper. His personality is dark, much like his fur. He is rebellious and always fights with their parents when they try to make him take a bath or go to bed.

Meadowspring is gentle. She collects bugs and takes care of them. Whenever her twin, Tawnyspot, gets hurt, Meadowspring is always there to help her feel better.

Tawnyspot is feisty. She has play fights with Kodiac and Meadowspring all of the time and almost always winds up on top.

Pine, despite his young age, is very hyper. He will run around for hours without even being a little tired. Of course, he can't run very fast yet, so he burns less energy.

Night is the shy kit out of the six. He stays quiet and listens to what their parents say and tries to learn from them. Night is the one who will learn the most through his attentive ears.

Their father, Sakrin, is the strongest one of the family of eight. He is smart and outwits any predators who're after him so as not to have his claws bloodied. Sakrin doesn't believe in killing unless it's absolutely necessary for survival.

Their mother, Ferndew, is gentle and kind. She watches over her children with love burning bright in her eyes. Her eyes are sharp and can spot danger a mile away. She, much like Sakrin, doesn't like the very idea of killing. Even still, if harm ever came towards her kits or the rest of her family, she would not hesitate to kill to protect them.

Now, back to the story. Kodiac and his family are enjoying every moment that they live in their den. Kodiac and Soriac are rambunctious little kits. Sakrin and Ferndew have a hard time keeping them in line. Mostly with Soriac, seeing as his temper is pretty high when he doesn't get his way.

Kodiac and his siblings are playing outside together under the watchful eye of their mother. Sakrin is out hunting. Kodiac tags Soriac and begins running the other way. Soriac growls, before racing after him. "I'll get ya, Kodi!" Soriac yells, using Kodiac's nickname.

"No' yet, ya will!" Kodiac laughs.

'Then I'll have to try something different' Soriac thinks. Instead of continuing the chase, Soriac goes over to Meadowspring, who is standing with her back turned to him. Soriac pushes Meadowspring, who then falls to the ground, skinning her knee. She whimpers and begins crying. Kodi runs over to her and begins soothing her. Soriac is laughing and pointing at them.

"Soriac! Ge' over 'ere right now!" Ferndew orders.

Soriac stops laughing. His ears flatten against his head. With a whimper, he heads over to Ferndew. "Yes, mum?" Soriac fidgets with his paws.

"Soriac, why did ya push yer sister? Ya know that's no' th' way ta behave! Go apologize ta 'er, now," Ferndew points Soriac to where Meadowspring is whimpering on the ground.

Soriac goes over to Meadowspring, who is still being held in Kodi's arms. "'m sorry, Meadow," Soriac mumbles the apology, using Meadowspring's nickname.

Meadowspring wipes the tears away from her eyes. "It's 'kay, Sori," Meadowspring replies, using Soriac's nickname.

Soriac reveals one of his rare smiles. He looks back at Ferndew, who nods in approval. Ferndew goes over and puts a bandage over Meadowspring's knee. When both Kodi and Meadow stand, Soriac taps Kodi on the shoulder. "Tag! Yer it!" Soriac laughs, running away. Kodi and their other siblings laugh as well as they join in the game.

Another year passes. The only real difference comes with age. Kodi, Soriac, Meadowspring, Tawnyspot, Pine, and Night have all kept the personalities they had a year prior to this time. Though Soriac's dark personality could go. It makes Kodi nervous most of the time.

Even with Kodi's nervousness over his twin, things are good. They still play together with one or both of their parents watching from nearby. They have a lot of fun each and every day. Since both Pine and Night are older, they can do more during their playtime. They can participate in more of the games that their older siblings play.

Right now, it is only Kodi, Soriac, Pine, and Night who are playing. Both Meadowspring and Tawnyspot are sick in their nests with fevers. Sakrin is watching over the four healthy kits while Ferndew takes care of the sick kits. Both Meadowspring and Tawnyspot are much too sick to be left alone for more than a moment.

When the four healthy kits finish their game of hide-and-go-seek, Kodi approaches their father. "Daddy, are Meadowspring an' Tawnyspot gonna be 'kay?" Kodi asks worriedly.

"Don't worry. They'll be fine. Do ya wanna see them?" Sakrin asks.

Kodi nods his little head. "Yeah!"

Sakrin smiles. He takes Kodi into the room where his sisters are resting. Ferndew looks up from where she is placing a cool cloth on Tawnyspot's forehead. "Kodi. Are ya 'ere ta visit yer sisters?" Ferndew asks.

Kodi nods his head. "Yes, mum. Um…will they feel betta soon?" Kodi asks.

"Oh, it won't be long before their fevers break. Then, they'll be back ta playin'," Ferndew answers.

"That's good," Kodi sighs in relief.

Just then, Tawnyspot's eyes twitch and flutter open. She coughs. Kodi goes over to her. "Hi, Tawnyspot. I just wanna say that I hope ya ge' well, soon, so we can play some more, 'kay?" Kodi whispers, ending it like a question.

Tawnyspot nods her head slowly, mindful of her headache. "'kay," she whispers back.

Kodi smiles at her. Sakrin then steps forward. "C'mon, Kodi. Let's leave yer sisters ta rest." Sakrin leaves the room with Kodi obediently following. Kodi knows, even then, that although there is sickness, happiness will always be found as long as you have family.


	3. Chapter 2: The Fire

It has been five years since Kodiac and Soriac were born. Their younger sisters are four and their younger brothers are three. Their personalities are very much the same as before. Soriac's is the only one whose personality has changed. His became worse. He'll growl a lot and claw his siblings, especially Kodiac, whenever their parents aren't watching. He has this fascination with weapons and other things that, naturally, kits should fear. He embraces them instead, going as far as cutting Kodiac's arms and/or legs on numerous occasions. The only reason he hasn't been caught is because of his lies. He tells their parents that Kodiac got all cut up by the sharp rock pit nearby. Always, he is believed. After all, what kind of parents would want to think ill of their son?

Even while he is forced to avoid his twin, Kodiac's life is fairly happy. He is still the kind, joyful little kit that he has been for all five years of his life. He refuses to let his twin ruin that for him as he enjoys the time he spends with his other siblings and their parents. At those times, he feels protected from his twin. Kodi is safe.

Kodi is laughing and running around with his younger siblings, not including his twin brother in their games. They play until the sky turns dark with night. Their parents call them in for bed. Kodi and his siblings brush their teeth and get ready for bed. Kodi and his younger siblings snuggle up to their parents, while Soriac watches from afar. No one notices the glare on his face. The glare disappears rather quickly so that no one may ever notice. The six kits are all waiting for their bedtime story. Their mother (Ferndew) has picked out one of their favorite books entitled: "The Lonely Kit". She smiles at Kodi before she begins reading:

"Once upon a time, there was this village far away from here. It was a small place, away from most other creatures. There, a young kit lived. His name was Juniper. He was small for his age and very shy. The other kits picked on him and teased him every day. He had no friends because of his size. Juniper was very sad and lonely. Then, one day, a little girl kit moved in next door. Her name was Emma. She was around his age. Around his size, too. Unlike him, Emma was an outgoing, adventurous kit. Juniper was fascinated by her. Despite his shyness, Juniper gained enough courage to walk over to her home and introduce himself. Emma has also been watching Juniper from afar. They found an attraction to each other. In other words, it was love at first sight. Whenever Juniper was being bullied, Emma would fight for him. Whenever Emma wanted to have an adventure, Juniper followed her. As the two grew, they started dating. As time went on, they got married and had a few kits of their own. The lonely kit was no more. He was replaced by a full grown weasel with a family of his own." Ferndew finishes the story.

Kodi is the first to speak up. "Oh, mum, I love that story! Can ya read it again?" He pleads.

"No, not tonight. It's late. I'll read it again tomorrow, alright?" Ferndew suggests.

Kodi yawns. "'kay, mum." Kodi hops into his nest, his eyes drooping. Their parents tuck them in and give them each a goodnight kiss. Kodi yawns again before he falls fast asleep.

That is when all hell breaks loose…

Kodi wakes to a strange noise in the night, one he has never heard. He opens his eyes only to find his room filled with smoke. Kodi jumps out of his nest. He coughs harshly. He runs out of his room, only to find the whole house is now a burning inferno. Kodi looks around, his eyes wide with a fear so great. He may be young, but even he knows that fire is deadly. Even the roof beams are engulfed by flames. There isn't much time. "Mum! Dad! Where are ya?!" Kodi screams, fear etched into his little voice.

"Kodi!" Ferndew calls from somewhere off to Kodi's right.

Kodi runs over to find both his parents buried from the waist down in rubble. His father isn't breathing. His mother isn't far off. "Mum! Get up! Please get up!" Kodi wails. Tears prick at his eyes. Kodi tries valiantly to hold them back.

"I…I'm sorry…I can't…Please…find your little siblings…Take care of them…Please…promise me…be strong…" Ferndew gasps.

Kodi nods his head slowly with tears running down his face. "I promise, but mum, I…I'm scared…" Kodi admits.

"I know. Don't worry. Here, take my necklace. It'll remind ya…I'll always be with ya…" Ferndew hands Kodi her gold-chained necklace with the sapphire pendant. The one given to her by Sakrin as a wedding present. "Now, get out of this house. It's not safe. I love you," Ferndew smiles softly despite her impending death.

"I love you too," Kodi replies, turning away. Kodi curls his paw in a fist around the necklace to keep it safe. He glances back briefly at his mother before running away.

Unfortunately, he doesn't get away unharmed. As Kodi is almost to the exit, an explosion surges through his home. That explosion knocks Kodi back a fair distance. He stumbles to his paws. Kodi runs faster, panic lending him strength, until he makes it outside. He runs to some hills a safe distance from the burning house.

Kodi turns back and watches as his house burns. Tears are running down his face as he knows one thing: His parents are dead.

It is also then that he begins to feel the pain. Kodi discovers that his arms, legs, and the whole right side of his face is severely burned. He can't see out of his right eye. It's completely swelled shut. Kodi whimpers and lets out an agonized shriek from the burning pain. Kodi grabs some snow and places it on his burns, whimpering a little as he waits for the pain to subside. Knowing that he has to find some shelter, Kodi looks around. He limps in the opposite direction from the remains of his house.

About an hour later, Kodi spots a cave in the distance. He keeps limping until he reaches it. He is pleased to find that it is vacant. There is some old bedding in the corner, but nothing else to suggest that anyone else lives there. A fine layer of dust coats everything, further testament to the vacancy of the cave. Kodi lays down on the bedding, wincing from the pain of his burns. He whimpers, squirming a little from the pain. "I…I wish mum was here…" Kodi whispers sorrowfully. At this point, he can't even think about the pain from his burns. Those thoughts are replaced by his thoughts about his parents.

Kodi thinks more and more about what has happened…about the loss of his parents...about his fear of the fire…even, for the first time, about his siblings. It's at the point where he even worries about Soriac, despite all that Soriac has done to him. Kodi's left eye waters. He bites his lip. Kodi closes his non-swelled-shut eye as he lets his tears fall. Safe from the fire, he can finally mourn. That night, he cries himself to sleep.


	4. Chapter 3: Moving On

Two days after the fire, Kodi is still laying in the cave. He hasn't moved more than a foot. He's in too much pain that he can barely even squirm. Kodi blinks his left eye open, whimpering and squinting against what little sunlight that's making its way through the cave mouth. Kodi rolls onto his back with another whimper. His right eye is still swelled shut. Kodi coughs a little, stifling a cry of pain as a result. His raspy breath echoes throughout the cave.

Kodi has started to develop a fever last night. He's delirious. He speaks as if his parents are in the cave with him. More than just that. Kodi is alone. He realizes that only at the points where his delirium subsides. Also, at those times, are when he actually feels his illness. The nausea, for him, is the worst part. As well as his pounding head. Kodi can barely keep himself from throwing up. Not that he ever succeeds. Proven as he rolls back on his side while clutching his stomach. He begins retching, throwing up all over the cave floor. Tears roll down his face as he heaves. After Kodi finishes vomiting, he falls back on his nest with exhaustion.

Kodi lays there, whimpering and crying out. He wishes that his parents are there to comfort him. Alas, he is all alone. There is no one to care for him and to help him through this. There is no one to hold him and wipe his tears away. There is no one at all.

Kodi hears his stomach rumble. Though he fears the thought of vomiting again, he knows he needs to eat and drink lots of water. Kodi struggles to push himself up off the floor of the cave. Ignoring the shooting pains in various parts of his body, Kodi stumbles outside. Much to his surprise (and pleasure) it isn't snowing. He can see clearly the fruit trees and bushes that he hadn't noticed before due to the tears blurring his eyes.

Kodi goes over to the berry bushes, spotting some nice juicy blueberries. Those are his favorites paws-down. Kodi lowers himself slowly on the ground next to the bush. He begins picking and eating his fill of the berries. Surprisingly, instead of more pain in his stomach, he finds that the berries are helping to soothe the nausea away. Feeling substantially better, Kodi takes two pawfuls of berries and makes it back to the cave. Once there, he places the berries in the cleanest corner of the cave. Kodi stumbles back to his nest and curls up into a tight ball of fur. He closes his non-swelled-shut eye, hoping for a little sleep to travel his way.

Thunder and a flash of lightning are what wakes him later in the night. Kodi shivers with the cold and fear. A whimper passes Kodi's lips. He looks outside of the cave, at the lightning brightening the sky. Kodi stumbles to his paws. He continues to gaze outside of the cave, fear still glistening in his non-swelled-shut eye. This is the first storm he has ever seen without the comfort of his parents. Sudden thunder booms outside. Without a second thought, Kodi bolts under the leaves of his nest. Shaking from fear, Kodi manages to get back to sleep.

Kodi doesn't wake again for the next three days. When he does, Kodi finds that the swelling is gone from his eye. He opens his eye…to see nothingness. Kodi blinks, hoping to see something there. The results are the same. His right eye is blind.

Kodi lets out a small scream of horror at this new development. The despair begins to take hold. A tear sneaks its way down Kodi's left cheek. That alone tells him another thing. Kodi can't cry from his right eye. Kodi wipes the tear away from his left eye. "Now, this isn't th' time ta cry. After all, mum told me ta be strong," Kodi mutters to himself.

He stumbles to his paws, pleased to find that his pain level is much more bearable. Kodi looks around the cave some more. "This cave is nice, but it's small. I need somethin' bigga fer protection," Kodi thinks aloud. With that in mind, Kodi goes outside and collects leaves and sticks from the nearby bushes. He fashions a shoulder bag out of those items. Kodi fills that bag with fruit, herbs, and other supplies he may need on his journey. After his bag is filled, Kodi waves goodbye to the cave and his old life to begin a new adventure. An adventure of epic proportions.


End file.
